The present invention relates to wound substrates. More particularly, the present invention relates to tape rolls.
The job of masking a surface for painting often involves the use of several different widths of masking tape, such as for graphic designs on cars, trucks, or vans. This requires finding the different widths of tape or at least maintaining an inventory of the necessary widths of tape in a convenient location near the area where the taping is done. Some workers carry the rolls of tape that are not being used around their wrist. Independent of what system is used, effort must be taken to keep the right width convenient for masking the surface.
Also, while using masking tape to mask a surface for painting it may be necessary to use large amounts of a specific width tape, such as for an airplane or bus. Several rolls would be used to finish the masking process. For applications where extreme lengths of continuous tape are needed, level wound tape can be used. Level wound tape is great for mechanized systems because it can accommodate the spirally wrapped strands of level wound tape. For hand masking applications, a planetary wind, with the strand of tape always coming off the roll in the same location with respect to the edge of the core, is desired.
During the process of masking a surface for painting it may be necessary to set the roll of masking tape down on a bench or cart that is frequently covered with dust or dirt. Since the slit edges of a cell of masking tape are tacky on its sides, dirt or other contaminants can adhere to the side of the roll of tape. These contaminants stay with the tape until it is adhered to the surface. If the contaminants are not removed from the edge of the tape, they are coated during the painting process and become a defect along the paint line.
Also, there are roll stability problems during the manufacture of narrow width tapes, tapes up to 0.635 cm (0.25 in) wide. Telescoping occurs if the web is too tight, and peaking and gapping occur if the web is too loose.
During the packaging of narrow width tapes, large amounts of film are needed to wrap narrow rolls. The film wrap covers the periphery as well as the sides of the roll to protect all of the tape. One method of covering the roll is to use shrink film. During heating, significant forces are generated in the radial direction of the roll of tape. These forces can disfigure narrow rolls of tape.
The invention is a roll of web having a total web width that is divided into n+1 portions by n circumferential slits. Each portion has a width less than the total web width, and the sum of the widths of the portions equals the total web width.
The portions are held together. In one embodiment a core accomplishes this. In another embodiment an unslit portion of the web at the innermost wraps of web is used.
The portions can have the same or different widths. Either all of the portions can be used as independent rolls of web or the portions on the ends of the roll of web can form sacrificial edge portions. The roll of web can be adhesive tape used for masking.
The method of creating this roll of web includes winding a length of web into a roll having a total web width, circumferentially slitting the web to divide the roll of web into a plurality of portions having a width less than the total web width such that the sum of the width of the portions equals the total web width.
Before the winding step, the method can include slitting a jumbo roll of web into a plurality of webs having the total web width. The winding step can include winding the plurality of webs in a planetary fashion until the appropriate length of web is wound. Alternatively, the winding step, can include winding the length of tape into a log, with the width of the log being much greater than the total web width, and using lathe cutting.